1 John 2:15-16 (NKJV) Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.
It is impossible to live a consecrated life if we love the world and succumb to the lust of the flesh and the eyes. We will be proud and full of ourselves if we think everything we have comes from our achievements. If we love the pleasures of the world, we will find it difficult to live a consecrated and sanctified life. Even though we are in God’s kingdom as children of God, our hearts are still very much in the world.
Sodom was a corrupt and godless city, any association with which was bound to lead to a compromised faith. When we choose to live like the world and trust in it rather than in God, we will pierce ourselves with many sorrows, compromising with its values and principles. It never leads to a good end (1 Timothy 6:10).
When Abraham and Lot had to part ways, Abraham gave Lot the priority to choose and Lot chose the plain of Sodom which was well-watered. Abraham took a different direction, but God was with him and told him that He would make him prosper (Genesis 13:5-17). What we learnt from Abraham is that if it is God who calls, He will bless the work of our hands and our relationship with Him will be intact.
Lot became an inhabitant of Sodom and compromised with the sinful people of Sodom. He relied on himself and became a slave to the world. Eventually, when a war broke out in Sodom, all that Lot had enjoyed and trusted in crumpled before him and he was taken captive. The love of money will cause us to be a slave to the world.
Abraham took his 318 men to save Lot and defeated a vast army. They rescued Lot, his family, and recovered everything that they had lost because God was with Abraham. Abraham gave 10% of the spoils to Melchizedek who is a type of Christ.
There lurks a danger for Christians who choose to trust in the world with visible benefits. The sign of a stronghold over trusting money is when one struggles to tithe to God. We live in the world, but we must not operate in the ways of the world and trust our jobs or businesses more than God. Very often, we will only realise whom we should truly trust when we have lost our jobs or business. Do not love the world, love God!
Sermon Series: A Steady Walk of Faith with God
不要爱世界
约翰一书2:15-16 不 要 爱 世 界 和 世 界 上 的 事 。 人 若 爱 世 界 ， 爱 父 的 心 就 不 在 他 里 面 了 。因 为 凡 世 界 上 的 事 ， 就 像 肉 体 的 情 欲 ， 眼 目 的 情 欲 ， 并 今 生 的 骄 傲 ， 都 不 是 从 父 来 的 ， 乃 是 从 世 界 来 的 。
如果我们爱世界，屈服于肉体和眼目的情欲，就无法过圣洁的生活。如果我们认为我们所拥有的一切都来自我们的成就，我们就会骄傲自满。如果我们爱世界的享乐，我们将发现很难活出圣洁和分别为圣的生命。即使我们作为上帝的儿女生活在祂的国度中，我们的内心仍然对世界恋恋不忘。
所多玛是一个腐败和无神的城市，与之有任何关联都必然导致信仰的妥协。当我们选择像世人一样生活，并且相信世界胜过信靠上帝时，我们将以许多的愁苦刺透自己，妥协于世界的价值观和原则。这从来不会有好的结局（提摩太前书6:10）。
当亚伯拉罕和罗得分道扬镳时，亚伯拉罕让罗得优先选择，罗得选择了滋润的所多玛平原。亚伯拉罕选择了不同的方向，但上帝与他同在，并告诉他祂会使他兴旺（创世记13:5-17）。我们从亚伯拉罕身上学到的是，如果是上帝呼召我们，祂会赐福我们双手的工作，我们与祂的关系将完好无缺。
亚伯拉罕带领他的318个人拯救了罗得，并击败了一支庞大的军队。他们解救了罗得、他的家人，并夺回了失去的一切，因为上帝与亚伯拉罕同在。亚伯拉罕将战利品的十分之一奉献给了麦基洗德，他被看作是基督的预表。
对于那些因肉眼可见的好处，并选择相信世界的基督徒来说，存在着一种危险。人对金钱的信靠成为一个营垒的迹象是：当人向神缴纳什一奉献感到为难时。我们生活在世界中，但我们不能按照世界的方式行事，也不能将我们的工作或事业看得比上帝更重要。通常，只有当我们失去工作或事业时，我们才会意识到我们真正应该信靠谁。所以，不要爱世界，要爱上帝！
讲章系列：坚定信靠神
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